Becky

My life changed in the fall of 2006. I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I was about to join a club that I had no choice in joining. My journey was long to this point because I had to wait a long time to have a deep-core biopsy. I waited almost three months, all the while not sure if I had cancer or not. My heart went out to the many friends who had gone through this process before me. I was sympathetic to them then, but now having gone through it myself, I was truly remorseful.

I had two surgeries in 5 weeks, leaving me with half a breast. I still had radiation to face, and many other decisions. Life was good though, I was alive and made a point of being very positive ( I did have a few pity parties) about my continued journey.

I decided that I needed to repair my wounded breast, a constant reminder of breast cancer. I had two reconstruction surgeries and now I look almost the same as I did before cancer and I feel like I look normal again.

In the fall of 2008 after my last surgery, I went into a tattoo parlour in NFLD and had the Irish Trinity Triangle ( my heritage ) with a breast cancer loop tattooed onto my right breast. I was moving forward and leaving breast cancer behind.

Check out the video at winnipegwomen.net of Dr. Ed Buchel in the Operating Room demonstrating some of the surgical and patient monitoring equipment purchased by Keeping Abreast.